They include: career academies, career and technical education programming, college prep, educational and postsecondary enrollment, shared programming and articulation agreements.

Kim Pouykham of Estherville started taking courses in the Hotel and Restaurant Management program on the Emmetsburg campus during her junior year of high school. She said she liked the career academy because it let her know how she would like the program.

Jackie Carlson, a senior at Emmetsburg High School, took four college classes last semester. She said taking classes at Iowa Lakes saves her a lot of money and that the classes are a lot more challenging than those she took in high school.

In other business, the board approved final training agreements for Brownmed of Spirit Lake and Simonsen Iron Works, Inc. of Spencer. Brownmed is expanding its facility by 50,000 square feet and adding 30 new jobs over the next two to three years.

The total amount of the training agreements was $110,000.

The board also approved permission to seek bids for the new swine farrowing facility at the college farm west of Emmetsburg. Estimated cost of the building is $400,000.

The board also held a public hearing and approved a $37.5 million budget for 2014.